Rookie

The goal of the Rookie Division is to teach baseball fundamentals while having fun.  The focus is on hitting, fielding, throwing, catching and the introduction of hitting pitches from a coach pitcher and tee.  At this level all players will hit from a coach pitcher that is set to an age appropriate distance.  If after 3 pitches, the batter has not put the ball into play, a tee will be used for the batter to hit.  If the tee is used the batter may make up to 3 attempts to put the ball in play. After 3 attempts, without putting the ball in play, the batter will be called out.

Player Ages

The Rookie Division is designed for all league age 5 and 6 year old players.  Your child must turn 5 or 6 years of age between September 1st 2024 and August 31st 2025 to qualify.  Please click here to determine your players league age   

Season

Teams will be formed in late February with a couple of practices scheduled.  Games will begin on Saturday March 23rd and run through the end of May.  In the Fall, teams will be formed on August 24th with practices starting the week of August 26th.  Games will begin on Saturday September 7th and run through the end of October.

Games

• Each team plays around 12 games per season (6-7 games for Fall Ball)
• Teams typically play 1 or 2 games a week (1 game on Saturdays for Fall Ball)
• Games last 1 hour

Practice

Practices will begin in early March. The team manager is encouraged to schedule at least one practice a week.  Practices generally last for 1-1.5 hours and start at 6:00 PM during the week.  In the Fall, practices will begin the week of August 26th with roughly one practice scheduled a week through the end of October.

Field Size

The Rookie division uses the standard Little League field size with 60 Feet between bases with a pitching distance of 46 feet.

Uniforms

Central Chesterfield Little League provides a T-Shirt Jersey, pants, socks and a cap.  Parents must provide athletic shoes or cleats (rubberized cleats only).

Playing Equipment

Parents must provide a ball glove and T-Ball bat.  We also recommend a batting helmet with mask.

Team

Teams typically consist of 12-14 players, a volunteer manager, two volunteer coaches, and a volunteer team parent. 

Rookie FAQs

Q: Do you keep score and are there umpires?

A: No scores are kept.  The Rookie Division is structured to teach the very basic fundamentals of baseball only. The games are self umpired by the volunteer coaches and managers.

Q: Can I request my child play on a team with their friends?

A: We will make every effort to accommodate friend requests at this level since there is no player draft.  Please contact our Player Agent at playeragent@ccllbaseball.com with your player friend request as soon as possible after registering your child.

Q: Can my child play up or down?

A: A parent of a child that is league age 4 may request to play at the Rookie division by contacting our Player Agent at playeragent@ccllbaseball.com.  A player that is league age 6 has the opportunity to play up to the Coach Pitch division (Age 7-8).  Please reference the Coach Pitch page for further information on the process.  All player assignments are ultimately determined by the Player Agent and President.

Q: Will my child get to play all the time?

A: Probably not the entire game.  But, our rules require the manager to bat the entire line up and all players play in the field each inning.

Q: Is my child eligible for an All-Star or Tournament Team at this level?

A: There are tournament opportunities at this level.  Please see our All-Star page HERE for more information.

Q: What kind of baseball is used at the Rookie level?

A: A soft core baseball is used at this level to help prevent injury and provide for a good learning experience.

Q: Can I manage or coach a team?

A: Absolutely!!  Prospective managers and coaches must register as a volunteer (follow the link below) and be approved by Central Chesterfield Little League's Board of Directors.

Please see additional FAQ's HERE